Transcription

1 Turning the Tide Storms, Floods, Insurance and You A guide to getting your insurance claim paid By Christian Mikula

2 ISBN Legal Aid NSW This Guide is copyright. Non profit community groups have permission to reproduce parts of this Guide as long as the original meaning is retained and proper acknowledgement is given. All other persons and organisations wanting to reproduce material from the Guide should obtain permission from Legal Aid NSW. Free copies are available from Legal Aid NSW Publications Unit (ph ) or from Legal Aid NSW offices. Also available from our website:

3 Contents Part 1 How to use this guide Part 2 Policy Summary Part 3 Standard Cover Contracts Part 4 Evaluating Damage Part 5 Getting organised Part 6 Rejected claims Part 7 Other issues Part 8 Contacts

4 Part 1 How to use this guide In recent years, parts of Australia have been ravaged by storms and floods. Many Australians have lost their homes and their possessions. This Guide is to assist you when dealing with your insurance company, and presents a range of arguments which may help you have your claim paid. You are now able to pursue these claims, without having to go to court, through the development of an effective alternative dispute resolution scheme called Insurance Ombudsman Service. This Guide deals only with claims under home building and contents insurance policies, and not other types of insurances such as motor vehicle insurance. It does not deal with the question of the liability of third parties such as local councils, land developers, mining companies or builders. Whether any third party should have to pay for the damage is an issue that will vary from case to case. Legal advice needs to be obtained in relation to the specific facts and circumstances of each case. Rainwater and floodwater The most common area of dispute with insurance companies is whether the damage was caused by flood water or rain water. There are three possibilities. The damage was caused by: 1. Rainwater; 2. Floodwater; or 3. Rainwater and floodwater that mingled or combined before entering the house. Many policies state that the insurance company does not have to pay for damage caused by floodwater. This may mean that the insurance company does not have to pay for damage caused by mingled rainwater and floodwater. However, there are a number of ways in which you may challenge decisions by insurance companies who reject your claim: a) checking the wording of the policy (it may not exclude damage caused by floodwater in all situations or at all); b) establishing that rainwater is the effective or Proximate Cause of the damage and not the floodwater; or c) using Section 35 of the Insurance Contracts Act 1984 (where this applies, special rules require the insurance company to pay for loss caused by floodwater, irrespective of the actual wording of the policy). These arguments are discussed in Parts 2, 3 and 4. To get the insurance company to pay the claim you must find out where the water came from and show that it was rainwater. There is often a need for evidence from experts such as hydrologists. Such reports can be expensive so communities should organise themselves and share this cost and information amongst themselves. The evidence that is required to determine the cause of the damage is discussed in Part 5. What if the claim is rejected? The development of an alternative dispute resolution scheme for insurance companies, called Insurance Ombudsman Service (IOS), has made it much easier for you to chase insurance claims. This scheme is free and even if you lose your case at IOS you can still bring a claim in Court. Where the insurance company rejects a claim, by using this scheme, you can take the matter further without the need for lawyers. The scheme has two stages: 1. an internal review by the insurance company; and 2. if still unsuccessful, a complaint to IOS (within three months). 2

5 The IOS will investigate the complaint, gather the information necessary to determine the claim and then refer the complaint to an Adjudicator (claims up to $5000) or the Panel (claims up to $280,000) for a decision. The Panel is made up of three members, an independent Chair, an insurance representative and a consumer representative. Decisions of the Panel are referred to throughout this Guide (eg. Decision ). It should be emphasised that the Panel is not obliged to follow earlier decisions. Each case will be decided on its merits. The Panel decisions only represent lines of argument for you to use, with the Panel being free to accept or reject them. The operation of the Panel is discussed in Part 6. The effect of Section 35 of the Insurance Contracts Act is that if an insurance company fails to clearly inform you that floodwater damage is excluded under your policy they must pay for flood damage. This is discussed at length in Part 4. Apart from the Insurance Contracts Act, insurance companies have been subject to the General Insurance Code of Practice from July The Code is referred to in this Guide where it can assist you with your claim. The information on the law and the operation of IOS is correct as at June What laws apply to insurance companies? The Insurance Contracts Act 1984, an Act of the Commonwealth Parliament, sets out the ways in which insurance companies must behave. The main aspects of the Act relevant to water damage claims are: (a) Duty on the insurance company to act in good faith. Section 13 of the Act imposes a duty on both the insurance company and you, the consumer, to act in the utmost good faith towards each other. The duty of utmost good faith can help you by allowing you to argue that the insurance company should: - specifically advise you of any unusual parts of the policy (especially exclusion clauses which would allow the insurance company to deny a claim); and - act quickly and reasonably in deciding any claim. b) The insurance company must pay for floodwater damage under a Standard Cover contract. 3

6 Part 2 What does the policy say? Summary Why is the policy important? The policy states the risks the insurance company has agreed to pay for. The insurance company cannot go outside the wording of the policy. It can only refuse to pay a claim for floodwater damage if this is clearly stated within the policy. Will the policy pay for damage caused by rainwater? Most insurance companies will not pay for damage caused by floodwater. However, a policy may, for example, state the insurance company does not have to pay: unless the storm made an opening the house, and the rainwater entered the house through doors and window hat opening, for damage to fences or retaining wall. Will the insurance company pay for damage caused by floodwater? Whilst many insurance companies will not pay for damage caused by floodwater, some insurers are now starting to offer flood insurance, including cover for flash-flood. The insurance company can only refuse to pay if this is clearly stated in your insurance policy. Introduction It will be stated specifically on your insurance policy document what risks the insurance company has agreed to pay for. Your insurance company will be able to provide you with a copy of the correct policy document. It is important to check that you have been provided with the right copy of your policy. Note: Business contents insurance policies may provide cover for loss caused by floodwater. If you were working from home you may have a business insurance policy, and not a domestic building policy. Will the policy pay for damage caused by rainwater? A typical policy will say that the insurance company will pay for loss or damage caused by rainwater and that: Rainwater shall mean: rain falling naturally from the sky including rainwater run-off over the surface of the land and including rainwater overflowing from stormwater drains and channels. It does not include water from flash flood. Some policies only cover damage in restricted circumstances and will not pay for all loss or damage caused by rainwater, but for example, will only pay for rainwater that entered the house through an opening made by the storm. This definition is very narrow and restrictive - your insurance company can refuse to pay a claim for damage caused by the sheer volume of rainwater entering a house through doors and windows, and it will only pay where the storm was violent enough to damage the house. To get a claim paid it is necessary to argue the insurance company should have specifically told you about the narrow definition in the policy, so that you could make an informed choice whether or not to buy such a policy. 4

7 Does the insurance company have to pay for damage caused by floodwater? Many insurance policies state the insurance company does not have to pay for damage caused by flood. A common definition of flood in insurance policies is as follows: The covering of normally dry land by water escaping or released from the normal confines of a watercourse or lake, whether or not it is altered or modified. Flood also includes water escaping from the confines of any reservoir, channel, canal or dam. The most common dispute will be where the water came from. You can successfully argue that the insurance company should pay the claim where the source of origin of the water was from a source outside the definition used in the insurance policy. case Study When water is not floodwater. In Decision , the Panel had to decide whether water that entered a house after flowing down gullies of a mountainside was floodwater. The insurance policy stated that floodwater was water escaping from a natural watercourse. The Panel found that as the gullies did not carry water except during heavy rain, they should not be regarded as a watercourse. Arguing about the source of the water Where the insurance company refused your claim by saying the damage was caused by floodwater, you need to consider whether the water which caused the damage was floodwater within the definition in the policy. The insurance company (or their hydrologist) may assume that if the water was not obviously an overflow from stormwater drains then it must have been floodwater. As seen in the Case Study above, this is not always the case. It is important to check the wording in your policy, as this will vary between different insurance companies. Some are changing their policies so that they say floodwater includes run-off from stormwater drains. This makes it even harder for consumers to claim. Situations where it may not be obvious whether the water was rainwater or floodwater include where the: Insurance company has assumed that the watercourse is natural but it was in fact built by the council as a stormwater drain. Water escaped from a stream or creek which has had its boundaries significantly or substantially altered by human activity eg. to improve drainage. If so, then the watercourse is no longer natural. It will be necessary to show that the original path of water was altered dramatically and is not a modification to a watercourse but the creation of a new artificial watercourse. Remember, as definitions of floodwater will vary from policy to policy, some policies may state that floodwater is water which has escaped from a natural or an artificial watercourse. In some areas, councils may have developed drainage or retention basins near possible flood sites. You may argue that water escaping from such a basin is not floodwater as it is not escaping from a natural watercourse, lake, reservoir, canal or dam. Arguing that the insurance policy does not exclude all damage caused by floodwater Sometimes the only cause of damage will be floodwater. In other cases, the floodwater will contribute to the damage. It is important to check the wording in the policy as it may only exclude damage where the floodwater is the only cause (or the main cause). If so, the insurance company will be required to pay where floodwater contributes to the loss. Some policies may state that the insurance company does not have to pay for loss or damage by flood. If so, it can be argued that these words are narrow in effect and only exclude damage where the flood was the main cause. 5

8 case Study The insurance company had to pay the claim as the floodwater only contributed to the loss In Decision the floodwater did not enter the house. However, it led to some rainwater being redirected from its usual channel or path and so contributed to the loss. The policy excluded loss or damage BY flood. The Panel decided that this phrase was narrower in meaning than the words loss or damage caused by flood. The Panel decided that this only excluded damage from floodwater as the immediate cause of the loss rather than a contributing factor. Accordingly, the insurance company had to pay the claim. 6

9 Part 3 Where the policy is confusing or you do not get a copy Summary Definition of Standard Cover contract A Standard Cover contract requires the insurance company to pay for flood damage. If the written policy excludes damage caused by floodwater and this was not clearly explained, you can make a claim under the Standard Cover contract. Special rules apply where the insurance company has failed to clearly inform you of the risks covered in your policy. You can claim for flood damage under these rules. These are called a Standard Cover contract. How do I tell if I have a Standard Cover contract? If the insurance company failed to clearly explain or advise you that flood damage was excluded from your policy, you will have a Standard Cover contract which will cover a claim for flood damage. If you were not given a copy of the policy, or if the wording is unclear or ambiguous then a Standard Cover contract applies. If you were unaware that your insurance policy did not include flood damage, you may still be able to pursue a claim through Section 35 of the Insurance Contracts Act. Section 35 requires the insurance company to clearly inform you of the restrictions and cover provided by the insurance policy before you enter into the contract. The penalty if the insurance company does not do this is that the contract will have effect according to law and this includes cover for flood. This is a Standard Cover contract. How does Section 35 work? The insurance company has to prove that Standard Cover does not apply. Accordingly, the Standard Cover prescribed by Section 35 will apply unless the insured was: clearly informed and advised in writing of the risks covered and excluded, before the contract was entered into; or otherwise knew or should reasonably have known the risks covered by the contract. The easiest way for the insurance company to avoid Standard Cover is by providing: a) all relevant information to you, before the contract is entered into, and b) this information clearly advised you that flood damage is not covered by the policy. The documents which may include information that flood damage is excluded are: the policy, if given to you at the time you took out the policy the proposal form the notice showing payment, if this specifies that flood damage is not covered notices/information provided at renewal, as each renewal is a new contract. It is important that you check the documents you have been given by the insurance company. A copy of your policy is available from the insurance company. Standard Cover does not apply if the policy clearly states the insurance company will not pay for flood damage, and you did not read the policy or you assumed flood damage was covered. When is the contract entered into? Standard Cover applies if you were not given written information which stated the flood exclusion before entering into the contract and you did not find out about the flood exclusion in any other way. 7

10 It is important to consider whether any written information was provided before or after the contract was entered into. There are two situations: 1. When the policy under which the claim is made was taken out for the first time: Usually, the policy will be entered into when the insurer accepts the insured s offer (which often happens these days on the telephone) after the insured has disclosed to the insurer all relevant information about the insured risk. If the information about flood damage exclusion was only provided after this time, then Standard Cover will apply. If you paid the premium at the office and the policy was sent out in the mail afterwards, then you were not informed in writing at the time of entering the contract and Standard Cover will apply. 2. When the policy is renewed: A new contract is entered into each year on renewal of your policy. If a policy has been sent to you in the mail and a year later the policy was renewed, Standard Cover would not apply. Written information about the flood exclusion would have been provided after the first policy, but before the renewal. However, insurance companies sometimes change the wording of the policy at the time of renewal. These changes may further restrict the circumstances in which the insurance company will pay for rainwater damage (for example, by saying it will now only pay for it where the rainwater entered the house through a hole in the roof). If these changes were not made clear prior to renewal, then Standard Cover could apply. Was there a failure to clearly inform you? The obligation on the insurance company under Section 35 is to clearly inform you of the risks covered, so even if you received written information, a Standard Cover claim may still be possible. case Study Where the insurance company did clearly inform the consumer In Decision the consumer had made a claim under a home buildings policy. The consumer argued that a Standard Cover contract applied. The Panel saw that the consumer had been provided with copies of the policy documents in in 1991 and It found that the wording of the policy was clear and that the policy had an index which made it easy to follow. Therefore the Panel found the insurance company had clearly informed the consumer of the restrictions under the policy and so Standard Cover did not apply. The insurance company was entitled to deny the claim. What is paid for by the insurance company under a Standard Cover contract? If Standard Cover applies, under the Insurance Contracts Regulations, the insurance company is required to pay for loss from storm, tempest, flood for both building and contents insurance which can include: the total amount of damage to the house the costs of demolition and removal of debris any money paid for emergency accommodation the total cost of damaged household items. 8

11 Part 4 What caused the damage? Summary How is the cause of the loss decided? The cause of the loss or damage depends on the individual circumstances of each case. If the cause was flood damage, and this is excluded under your policy, then the insurance company can refuse the claim. What if the loss is caused by both rainwater and floodwater? There can be more than one cause of the damage, and if it was caused by combined rainwater and floodwater entering the house, then the insurance company can still refuse to pay the claim. Do hydrologists get it right? Insurance companies usually obtain hydrologists reports to confirm whether the damage was caused by rainwater or floodwater. These reports recreate the events and suggest the maximum level the water would have reached if it was only rainwater. These reports are not conclusive and can be based on false assumptions and can be inconsistent with eyewitness events. If so, they may be challenged as incorrect. How is the cause of the damage decided? Where your policy excludes liability for flood damage, it is necessary to establish the cause of any loss as there may not simply be one clear cause of the loss. Where some thing is a direct or immediate cause of the loss it is referred to as a Proximate Cause. Proximate Cause means the insurance company can deny a claim when: the policy excludes damage caused by flood floodwater is found to be a direct or immediate cause (even if rainwater is also an immediate cause). The principle of Proximate Cause is applied in the following ways: 1. The Proximate Cause is the dominant, effective, immediate or direct cause. 2. The fact one cause is first or last in time is not decisive in determining the Proximate Cause. 3. There may be more than one Proximate Cause. 4. A commonsense approach is taken to the question of finding the Proximate Cause. These principles are applied to water damage where rainwater came: 1. Before the floodwater then the insurance company must pay for the damage. 2. After the floodwater then the claim may be refused by the insurance company. However, if some of the damage to the house can be specifically identified as having been caused by that rainwater (eg. damage to the roof, or rainwater leaking into the walls or other parts of the house), then the insurance company must pay for that damage: 3. Where the loss is caused by rainwater and floodwater that have mingled together before entering the house then generally the insurance company can refuse to pay the claim.

12 case Study Where the rainwater came in first In Decision the facts were that the rainwater entered the house first and was followed by a surge of floodwater. The Panel decided that: The insurance company had to pay for the damage caused by the rainwater The insurance company could refuse to pay for any damage caused solely by the increase in the water level in the house after the initial rainwater by floodwater If it is not known which damage was caused by the floodwater or rainwater then the insurance company should pay for the whole amount of the loss. This is important as it may be difficult to determine which part of the damage was done by floodwater after repairs have been made. case Study Where floodwater was not a Proximate Cause In Decision damage was caused by water which was a combination of both rainwater and floodwater. The Panel reviewed the facts and found that the: floodwater formed a small percentage of the water which entered the house rainwater was sufficient to do the damage without the floodwater volume of the floodwater was too low to enter the house and would not have caused any damage The Panel held that the floodwater was not a Proximate Cause of the damage to the house and therefore the insurance company should pay the claim. The insurance company can refuse to pay the claim where rainwater and floodwater are both found to be Proximate Causes. The Courts have held that where a loss is the result of two Proximate Causes, one of which is insured against (rainwater) and the second is excluded (floodwater), then the insurance company is entitled to deny liability. If both contribute to or are direct causes of the loss they will be considered Proximate Causes. For example if the mixed waters are 55% rainwater and 45% floodwater, the insurance company will be entitled to deny the claim. However, each case will depend on its facts. It will be possible to get the claim paid were rainwater was the Proximate Cause and the effect of the floodwater was minimal or insignificant. Causation and hydrologist s report Insurance companies often have reports from experts, such as hydrologists, to try and determine the origin of the water which caused the damage. These reports try to reconstruct ways in which water levels rose and the source and direction of water flow during the course of the storm. These reports are not definitive as they may rely on incorrect assumptions or information. Insurance companies may provide you with copies of these reports and you should read them carefully. You may challenge the report if it is contradicted by eyewitness accounts and if the report has incorrect assumptions about when or how the water reach particular areas and the time and height that water levels peaked. However, even if these assumptions are shown to be incorrect, you must still show the damage was caused by the rainwater. 10

13 Part 5 Getting organised Evidence about the cause of the damage The more detailed information obtained about the deluge, the easier it is to establish the cause of the loss. You should try to gather evidence such as: Eyewitness accounts about the time the water entered the house, the level it rose to, where it came from, how it first entered the house (for example, through toilets and showers or over land) and whether the water level increased in stages or at a steady and uniform rate. The position of debris left after the flood may help indicate the direction of the water flow. This is not a reliable indicator as the water may have changed direction many times. Maps showing rainwater drains in the area (copies may be obtained from councils). Contour maps of the district and the height of the house above sea level (these may be obtained from surveyor s reports). Information from the Bureau of Meteorology about the time and amount of rainfall, and any local variations in the distribution of rainfall in the area. Information about when any river levels peaked. Eyewitness accounts about the appearance and colour of water which may indicate the source of the water. If the local council prepared its own report, obtain a copy. Photos, videos and other records of the flood, including home videos and, if possible, news footage. Where the property was near the sea, the influence of any wave action (eg. waves caused by emergency rescue vehicles). Floods tend to affect a large number of people in the same area. This can be used to your advantage to: combine information share expenses (for expert reports etc) organise committees to deal directly with insurance companies. Negotiating with insurance companies Consumers should establish local committees to act as support and advice centres and to deal with issues and claims resulting from denied claims from insurance companies. In Wollongong, following floods in August 1998, the community organised a Stormwater Action Group. It lobbied the NRMA, the major insurance company in the area. As a result of this action, the NRMA agreed not to rely on the distinction between floodwater and rainwater in paying claims. In negotiating with insurance companies it is a good idea to: a) make contact with a senior person within the insurance company who has the power to decide the claims. This stops information being relayed from one person to another, and ensures you deal directly with the senior person who is the decision maker. b) arrange for reports from experts to be exchanged. Insurance companies are under no legal obligation to provide you with copies of any reports, but they are under an obligation to provide you with statements as to why your claim has been rejected. This information can be useful in identifying the main points of dispute and can assist in matters being resolved quickly. 11

14 If you cannot pay the excess If you are unable to the pay the excess in full due to financial hardship you are experiencing, you may apply to your insurance company seeking to pay by instalments or to postpone payment of excess. In addition, according to Cl 3.7 of the General Insurance Code of Practice, insurance companies have obligations to fasttrack your claim, if you satisfactorily show that you are in urgent financial need of the benefits you are entitled to under your policy. If your insurance company refuse to assess your claims because you cannot pay the excess, you should follow the steps in Part 6 seeking internal review and external review (if necessary). You may also be able to argue that following Section 54 of the Insurance Contract Act, insurance companies cannot rightfully refuse your claim simply because you cannot afford to pay the excess in a lump sum. 12

15 Part 6 Rejected claims Internal review by the insurance company If a claim is rejected, insurance companies are required to provide consumers with access to both an internal and external dispute resolution process. You must try to resolve a complaint through the internal review before approaching the external scheme, the Insurance Ombudsman Service (IOS). While the structure of the internal dispute resolution process varies from insurance company to insurance company, it usually means that the initial decision is reviewed by someone at a more senior level. This can be useful in two ways: You can find out why your claim was refused. Insurance companies are required by the General Insurance Code of Practice to give reasons for rejecting claims. The letter of complaint and response from the insurance company can be used to find out the reasons why a claim has been refused. These reasons need to be addressed if the complaint is taken to IOS. More straightforward disputes may be resolved, or incorrect decisions may be overturned, as the matter is considered from a fresh perspective. You may also be given a more detailed explanation of the reasons behind the original decision, and understand that the claim had been rejected correctly. The contact details for each insurance company s internal dispute scheme can be obtained from IOS. Complaining to Insurance Ombudsman Service If your claim has still been denied after an internal review, the next step is to complain to IOS within three months of the date of refusal. You can contact your insurance company or IOS to find out whether your insurance company is an IOS member. The advantages of this scheme are: The Panel members who determine the claims are familiar with insurance law. The Panel takes into account good insurance practice and what is fair and reasonable in all the circumstances (which may lead to a higher standard of conduct for the insurance company than a court may impose). There is no need for legal representation. Its procedures are generally simpler and quicker than legal action. Complaints may be made in writing without the necessity of a personal appearance. The scheme is free and there is no risk of you being ordered to pay the insurance company s legal costs if your complaint is unsuccessful. You still have the option of taking the dispute to court if you are dissatisfied with the outcome. The disadvantages of this scheme are: The Panel cannot award damages due to the failure to pay the claim (such as the cost of alternative accommodation, if not allowed under your policy). It may award interest where it considers the insurance company was unreasonable in rejecting your claim. The Panel cannot reimburse any costs to you (eg. for specialist reports). Time limits for complaining Each insurance company designates senior officers to consider claims in an internal review and to make a final decision about the complaint. According to the current General Insurance Code of Practice, insurance companies will respond to your request for internal review within 15 business days if they receive all necessary information and have completed any investigation required. Insurance companies will also keep you informed of the progress of the internal review 13

16 at least every 10 business days. (Cls 6.6 and 6.8 of General Insurance Code of Practice). If your insurer is not complying with their code obligations, you can contact the Code Compliance Manager, Insurance Ombudsman Service. You then have three months from the date of the final decision in which to refer the complaint to the Panel. Although the time limit is strict, the Panel has a limited discretion to waive it when there is a valid reason for the delay or to ensure the insurance company has not been prejudiced. If IOS receives a complaint which has not been through the internal review, IOS will ask you to go back to the insurer for internal review. The insurance company will then make a final decision which can be taken back to the IEC within the three months. Once IOS has received a complaint it is likely that a decision will be made within three to six months. If you are unsuccessful at IOS you can still take your matter to court. You must commence your claim within six years from when the cause of action accrues (which may be six years from the date of the insured event is storm or flood depending on what your policy says). Your policy may also say that you need to notify your insurer as soon as possible of the damage. It may be a basis for refusal of the claim so it is better not to delay. What matters can IOS hear? The Panel is governed by Terms of Reference, which can be altered from time to time, and which state which cases it can hear. IOS can provide a copy of the current Terms of Reference upon request. They can also be obtained at A summary of the types of matters the Panel can hear (as at June 2007) are: Where the claim is for $280,000 (or less), the Panel can make a final decision that is binding on the insurance company about: whether a claim should be paid, or about the calculation of the amount of a claim, or about whether interest should be paid as a result of unreasonably delaying payment. The Panel can hear complaints by small businesses which have an annual turnover (including the turnover of related enterprises or bodies corporate or other associated entities) of not more than $1,000,000. The Panel cannot hear disputes: involving a claim for an amount over $280,000 where you cannot take legal action because the case is too old (usually six years from the date the cause of action accrues (which may be six years from the date of the insured event such as the storm or flood)) about matters apart from disputes in relation to claims (eg. conduct of assessors) where there is a factual dispute that can only be resolved by choosing between the version of events given by different individuals (although this rarely applies to floods) If the insurance contract is not issued by a participating member of IOS. Where the case is outside the Terms of Reference, the Panel can still hear it if the insurance company consents. It is worthwhile approaching the insurance company in relation to a claim outside the Terms of Reference to see if they will agree to the Panel hearing it. Where the amount in dispute does not exceed $5000, IOS will refer the dispute to an Adjudicator (rather than the Panel) to determine. Where fraud is alleged in defence by an insurer, IOS will refer such disputes to a Referee for determination. In summary, there are three decision makers at IOS: the Panel, Adjudicators and the Fraud Referee. Procedures at IOS When IOS receives a complaint, it then writes to the insurance company, asking it to provide a written response. The insurance company can insist its written submission is confidential. However, IOS will encourage insurance companies to provide consumers with copies of the reports from its hydrologists, if this has not been done. Many flood disputes will be determined by the Panel (as they are claims over $5000). The Panel consists of three people: an independent chairperson; a person with an insurance company background; and a person with a consumer interest background. Generally the 14

17 Panel decides cases not from interviews with the parties involved, but on the basis of written submissions and a review of the documents. In flood cases, the Panel will usually visit the scene of the storm and inspect the area as well as speak to all parties. Like all decision makers at IOS, the Panel is required to make its decision based on what is fair and reasonable in all the circumstances and with regard to good insurance practice, the terms of the policy and established legal principles. These grounds of relief are broader than those available in a court. The Panel s decision is binding on the insurance company. However, you have a choice whether to accept the decision. If your claim is still refused by the Panel, you can reject the Panel s finding and take the insurance company to court. Writing submissions to IOS You should include in your submission: 1. The reasons why your claim should be paid. Your letter should address all reasons the insurance company gave in refusing the claim. 2. Detailed information about what documents you received, when you received them, how the policy is unclear if you are relying on a Standard Cover contract. 3. Any conflicting evidence between eyewitness accounts and the assumptions in a hydrologist s report. The Panel prefers reliable first hand evidence as opposed to reports provided by hydrologists. It has accepted that the modelling process adopted by hydrologists can only be a simplified reconstruction of events, and may not take into account variations from one street to another. See sample letter below. Powers of IOS If the decision maker at IOS finds in your favour, it can make a decision ordering the insurance company to pay: the amount of the claim interest in accordance with Section 57 of the Insurance Contracts Act (if the Panel considered refusal to pay was unreasonable). The current rate of interest is 9.23% payable from the date the claim should have been paid. The decision makers at IOS have the power to order the insurance company to pay legal costs (in very limited circumstances) or expenses such as hydrologist reports where it is appropriate to do so. IOS has no power to order the insurance company to pay damages. Sample letter of complaint to IOS I am the owner of a property damaged in the recent floods at Easytown. My claim has been rejected by my insurance company, Easy Insurance. The insurance policy stated that I am not covered against loss from flood damage. I have been provided with a copy of a hydrologist s report that Easy Insurance had prepared, and it states that the damage to my property was caused by water overflowing from a nearby creek. I don t think my claim should have been rejected, as I have a clear memory of that day and was at home when the storm happened. As far as I can remember, what happened that day was: the depth of the water when it first entered my home was quite shallow. I understand that shallow water is more likely to be rainwater than floodwater. After first coming into the house, the water level rose for a while, then peaked and stopped. About an hour later the height of the water started increasing again. I remember this as I was quite surprised to see it rising again. I had thought the worst of the storm was over, and suddenly I had to take steps to protect my furniture. The water first entered my home about 3pm. The records from the Bureau of Meteorology show that this was shortly after the most intense period of rainfall. I have been advised that if the water level increases close to the time when the amount of rain falling is at its greatest, this will suggest the water is more likely to be rainwater. Given the way in which the water entered my house, I consider that it was not floodwater but rainwater and therefore Easy Insurance has incorrectly rejected my claim. I request the Claims Review Panel to decide that the insurance company should have to pay for the damage to my home and its contents. 15

18 Is legal aid available for insurance disputes? Whilst IOS is designed for people who do not have lawyers, some flood insurance cases are difficult and may require the assistance of a lawyer. examining both the merits of the case and the income and assets of the person applying, and then making a decision as to whether legal aid is granted. Applications can be made through Legal Aid offices or by a private solicitor on your behalf. In NSW, legal aid is available for disputes with insurance companies. Each application for legal aid is assessed by Legal Aid NSW Part 7 Other issues Deeds of Release Sometimes an insurance company will pay part of the claim but will ask you to sign a document releasing the insurance company from any further liability. This is so you agree not to pursue any claims in respect of further loss. This document is often called a Deed of Release or a Release Agreement. If an insurance company asks you to sign a Release, you should read it very carefully and ensure that you are satisfied with the agreement before signing it. Depending on the circumstances in which the Release was signed, you may still be able to pursue further claims under the policy. This would particularly be the case where the document was signed: in a situation where you thought you had no choice or it was the only way to get money when you needed it when you did not understand the effect of the document they were signing when additional claims were anticipated by the insurance company But rather than needing to rely on these types of arguments to avoid the Deed of Release, it may be better to simply seek legal advice before you sign any legal document. case Study Where the Deed of Release did not prevent further claims In Decision , the insurance company agreed to pay a claim for water damage to the consumer s carpet, but asked the consumer to sign a Release which stated the insurance company was not liable for any further claim under the policy. However, the consumer made a further claim under the policy, which was rejected. The consumer stated that he had signed the Deed because the insurance company had withheld payment on the replacement of the carpet until he agreed to sign, and the smell from the wet carpet made his house unfit to live in. The Panel found the insurance company could not rely on the Release for two reasons. First, the later claim was genuine and was for damage not apparent at the time of the first claim. Secondly, the release was signed when the consumer was under considerable duress because of the pressure to get the carpet replaced as quickly as possible. The Panel therefore decided that the insurance company had to pay the later claim. 16

19 Dealing with assessors Assessors are employed by insurance companies to investigate claims. While you should cooperate with them, it should be remembered that their role is to ensure that all possible reasons for refusing a claim have been examined. If an assessor asks you to sign a statement you should ask them if you can take it away and look at it, rather than signing it on the spot. Consumers have complained about assessors asking them to sign documents which include a statement that the damage was caused by floodwater. These statements are of little effect in law, as the question of causation is a factual issue, not a matter of opinion. Consumers should not be discouraged from pursuing a claim as a result of having signed such a document. Getting repairs done This Guide does not offer specialist advice in relation to repairs. However: You should be careful in selecting contractors to do repairs. Unlicensed and itinerant builders, roof painters and repairers can appear on the scene after a flood and offer their services. They may do an inadequate job which has to be fixed up by another tradesperson or they take money upfront and not do the job. The NSW Office of Fair Trading should be able to assist in advising whether or not a person is licensed. You should consult your insurance company or obtain professional advice in relation to repairs. Owners who begin to repair or replace damaged materials before their houses have properly dried may face higher costs later if some of the work has to be done again. The Insurance Council of Australia has a pamphlet about repairs which it will send out on request. The insurance company cannot insist that repairs wait until it has seen the damage or given its approval. If the insurance company refuses to allow repairs to be done, the consumer should take photographs and make a written record of the damage before commencing work. Problems with insurance brokers Where the policy was arranged by an insurance broker (rather than you dealing directly with the insurance company) then other issues apart from those already dealt with in this Guide may arise. In particular, if the loss was due to some negligent conduct on the part of the broker you may be entitled to pursue a claim against them. Examples may be where you: Specifically asked the broker to organise insurance against flood, the broker failed to do so and did not advise you of this Did not have an insurance policy covering you for loss, due to an unreasonable delay by the broker, and you would have been able to claim under the policy if it was in place. Complaints with insurance brokers can be taken to an alternative dispute resolution scheme. This scheme is called the Insurance Brokers Disputes Limited (IBD). Finding Insurers who offer flood cover To locate insurers who now offer flood or flashflood insurance, contact the Insurance Ombudsman Service. 17

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